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geehamonster
2006-05-16, 20:02
What to get a Macbook or a Macbook Pro? I will not really be doing any photoshopping or anything like that. I probably will watch DVD's, cruise the internet, run the normal word processing, spreadsheets, etc and maybe some Matlab. What do you all think I should get?

chucker
2006-05-16, 20:09
The MacBook.

Brad
2006-05-16, 20:24
MacBook and MacBook Pro both have a capital B.

The plural form of DVD has no apostrophe.

MATLAB is all caps.

FYI.

psmith2.0
2006-05-16, 20:41
geehamonster, your needs/usage has MacBook written all over it. A total no-brainer, IMO. You'd be spending an extra gob for a lot of power and features you'll probably never put to use.

Trust me...I'll not make that same purchasing slip again (overbuying and paying twice more than I need for what I do). I learned an expensive lesson two-and-a-half years ago! It's a $1,299 iMac or MacBook from here out...

:)

geehamonster
2006-05-16, 20:47
Sorry Brad. I was just typing it up quickly because I was at work. I didn't mean to offend you.

Brad
2006-05-16, 20:54
Not offended. :)

If I was, I would have used one of these: :grumble: :mad:

I'm just trying to educate the world one post at a time.

Wyatt
2006-05-16, 21:30
Not offended. :)

If I was, I would have used one of these: :grumble: :mad:

I'm just trying to educate the world one post at a time.
Yeah, don't take it personally. You'll notice once you've been here longer that we really value good communication skills here, and that especially includes good spelling and grammar. That's why you don't see a lot of "netspeak" here, unless it's a joke. While it wasn't a big deal that you misspelled those things, there are some common misspellings here that make a big difference in what you're saying (MAC is a lot different than Mac, for example). Don't worry about Brad, though. He's moody. ;)

By the way, welcome to the 'Nova!

blakbyrd
2006-05-16, 22:06
Ze MacBook. :D

Brad
2006-05-16, 22:09
Don't worry about Brad, though. He's moody. ;)
It's just that someone peed in my Cornflakes. :(

Oh. About the original question?

MacBook. Definitely.

chucker
2006-05-16, 22:11
It's just that someone peed in my Cornflakes. :(

Chris! How many times do I have to tell you. :mad:

billybobsky
2006-05-16, 22:17
You didn't want those cornflakes anyway.

RowdyScot
2006-05-16, 22:22
I'm sure somebody did. As for the question, I'll echo everyone else. MacBook, definitely.

pilot1129
2006-05-17, 00:35
MACBook Pr0! oh wait, yeah, just the mACbOOK.

-dont forget to pick up a leather iPod case

Kusakun
2006-05-17, 06:52
The answer is simple... MBP if you have the money and if you are going to use it as a "pro" if not go to the black Macbook

usurp
2006-05-17, 08:27
why black macbook and not the midrange white one? Does he need to pay $200 for just 20GB of extra space? Thats not good advice..

Go with either the low end or midrange macbook. it should be more then enough. I am personally getting the low end macbook since its the best deal.

Sketch
2006-05-17, 11:13
get the white MacBook and buy 3rd party RAM (512MB), buy an external 200GB HDD, all should cost the price of the black MacBook except with better specification.

Mac Donald
2006-05-17, 12:36
The plural form of DVD has no apostrophe.
FYI.

:no: We've had this discussion, and there is nothing wrong with pluralizing abbreviations with an apostrophe. It is a matter of style. Moreover, languages evolve---otherwise, we would all be speaking some weird Saxon/German language and Europe would be speaking Latin. Grammar, like languages, also evolves. Go pick up a copy of the Constitution, and note the grammar used. Every noun is capitalized. If Grammar had not evolved, every Sentence would look like This.

DMBand0026
2006-05-17, 12:58
Yes, there is something wrong with pluralizing something with an apostrophe. Abbreviation or not, it's not grammatically correct. Your argument that it is correct due to a linguistic evolution is flawed, by that logic, 1337 speak should be perfectly acceptable as well by now.

chucker
2006-05-17, 13:01
:no: We've had this discussion

Yes, indeed. So please learn from it. You can argue about style all you want; "DVD's" is not the accepted style here.

I recommend you read the Taligent Style Guide on this matter (http://pcroot.cern.ch/TaligentDocs/TaligentOnline/DocumentRoot/1.0/Docs/books/SG/SG_5.html):
Forming plurals of abbreviations

When forming plurals of abbreviated forms:

Form the plural with a lowercase s (never an es).
PBXs (not PBXes)
If the abbreviation contains internal punctuation, form the plural with an apostrophe s.
Ph.D.'s
M.C.S.'s
(but CPUs, LANs)

If Grammar had not evolved, every Sentence would look like This.

"This" is not a noun.

Mac Donald
2006-05-17, 14:33
"This" is not a noun.
This is a person, place or thing when used in the context I used it. It can also be used as an adjective -- e.g., this thing.

PB PM
2006-05-17, 14:35
I cannot believe how many grammar freaks there are on this forum.:lol:

Mac Donald
2006-05-17, 14:36
People who correct others' grammar in a snarky way are just out to prove how "smart" they think they are. I guarantee if I go through the archives, I can plenty of examples of both Brad and Chucker not following the correct rules of grammar --- differences between "who" and "whom" for example (which are thankfully evolving to become obsolete). But I doubt someone was obnoxious enough to devote a post to their mistaken grammar.

Sketch
2006-05-17, 14:50
am i in the right forums? did i bookmark it right. Jees luigi :D

DMBand0026
2006-05-17, 14:54
I don't believe that anyone here is claiming to be perfect, I know I'm not because I'm nowhere near perfect. However, I do know that myself, Brad, Chucker, and others who advocate for the use of correct grammar are at least putting an effort toward it, which is more than can be said for some members here at AppleNova. The issue arises when people intentionally misuse grammar as is often the case on the internet these days. I have a big problem with people who just don't care and don't even try.

I also have a problem with people claiming that grammar mistakes are now acceptable because of an evolution of language. Yes, the english language has evolved to a point where it's barely a shadow of its former self, but that doesn't give us the right to butcher it to the point where it becomes nothing at all like its former self. There are certain aspects of grammar and language that must be maintained or we'll all turn into a pack of bumbling idiots who shout w00t! at each other as we pass on the street.

Like I said, I'm not perfect, no one here is, but I know a lot of us who have a difficult time standing idly by as our language "evolves" into crap. I really don't think it's fair to yourself or to anyone else to just accept such blatant misuse of grammar and chalk it up to an evolution of language. Yes, the English language is constantly changing, that's fine, I know that we accept that. However, to allow it to suffer and die because, "that's the way the internet does it" is completely unacceptable to me. People should know better, there's 40 year old men making grammatical errors on the internet that would have them failing homework assignments that their 15 year old children are doing in school.

Don't bother pointing out that the above written isn't grammatically perfect, I know that. At least I tried, at least it's readable, at least I'm not attempting to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Edit: See the above post for a perfect example of what I'm talking about. To say that it smacks of effort is a gigantic understatement.

hutchtoo
2006-05-17, 15:00
Would the more experienced Mac users here recommend buying the AppleCare protection plan along with the MacBook? At $200+ this seems like an incredible premium relative to the price.

(A little nervous now as I can't remember if there is a capital "C" in AppleCare... living dangerously. :cancer:)

Sketch
2006-05-17, 15:28
well it is better to get AppleCare protection plan. And no i am not an experienced mac user. But i do have a protection plan which is different than the AppleCare, it covers accidental damages and all other hardware damages for less money (100 Euro for 3 years). It is from the apple store itself. But i am from Europe.

DMBand0026
2006-05-17, 15:30
Would the more experienced Mac users here recommend buying the AppleCare protection plan along with the MacBook? At $200+ this seems like an incredible premium relative to the price.

(A little nervous now as I can't remember if there is a capital "C" in AppleCare... living dangerously. :cancer:)

You should absolutely get the AppleCare protection plan. Around here you'll find that most people will recommend that you get AppleCare with a portable computer, but it isn't always necessary for a desktop model. However, your milage may vary.

FFL
2006-05-17, 15:37
You should absolutely get the AppleCare protection plan. Around here you'll find that most people will recommend that you get AppleCare with a portable computer, but it isn't always necessary for a desktop model. However, your milage may vary.
Yep, that's a concise statement of the conventional wisdom regarding AppleCare among experienced users and industry pros.

autodata
2006-05-17, 15:38
:no: We've had this discussion, and there is nothing wrong with pluralizing abbreviations with an apostrophe.
You should only use them in abbreviations where it's not clear if the "s" is part of the abbreviation itself or in cases where the abbreviation contains punctuation.
Moreover, languages evolve
That's among the stupidest arguments I've seen.

It's one thing not to know the correct capitalization of irregularly capitalized brand names and trademarks, unless someone types "MAC," but it's a problem when so many people make the same glaring mistakes that make educated people hate chatting online.

FFL
2006-05-17, 15:40
Oh, and as to the original question - a midrange white MacBook, with an 80 or 100 GB drive, and a 3rd party RAM upgrade.

chucker
2006-05-17, 15:47
This is a person, place or thing when used in the context I used it. It can also be used as an adjective -- e.g., this thing.

Your point being? "This" is a demonstrative pronoun or determiner. It's not a noun.

autodata
2006-05-17, 15:52
What to get a Macbook or a Macbook Pro? I will not really be doing any photoshopping or anything like that. I probably will watch DVD's, cruise the internet, run the normal word processing, spreadsheets, etc and maybe some Matlab. What do you all think I should get?
MacBook, definitely. It should suit you perfectly.

JayReding
2006-05-17, 16:17
Yep, that's a concise statement of the conventional wisdom regarding AppleCare among experienced users and industry pros.

Another vote for that theory here. A portable is subject to great deal more abuse than a desktop would be, which is why AppleCare - though expensive - is a very good idea. Back in my IT days, we figured that a laptop cost us nearly 5 times more than a desktop during its service lifetime in repair/replacement costs. At the very least, you'll probably get a battery replacement out of the deal, and if something VERY expensive like a screen breaks, you'll be very glad to have the coverage.

The nice thing about the MacBook is that if you decide later on to start using Photoshop, working with iMovie, etc., a Core Duo will give you plenty of CPU horsepower to do so. The only thing that would preclude you from being better off with a MacBook would be if you're a serious gamer or do anything that would really tax the GPU (Graphic Processing Unit).

I would also suggest getting as much RAM as you can afford. It's a bit of work to install RAM in the MacBook yourself, but 10.4 drags a bit with only 512MB of memory. You do notice a sizable performance increase when you hit the 1GB mark.

keenspoon
2006-05-18, 13:21
Another vote for that theory here. A portable is subject to great deal more abuse than a desktop would be, which is why AppleCare - though expensive - is a very good idea. Back in my IT days, we figured that a laptop cost us nearly 5 times more than a desktop during its service lifetime in repair/replacement costs. At the very least, you'll probably get a battery replacement out of the deal, and if something VERY expensive like a screen breaks, you'll be very glad to have the coverage.

The nice thing about the MacBook is that if you decide later on to start using Photoshop, working with iMovie, etc., a Core Duo will give you plenty of CPU horsepower to do so. The only thing that would preclude you from being better off with a MacBook would be if you're a serious gamer or do anything that would really tax the GPU (Graphic Processing Unit).

I would also suggest getting as much RAM as you can afford. It's a bit of work to install RAM in the MacBook yourself, but 10.4 drags a bit with only 512MB of memory. You do notice a sizable performance increase when you hit the 1GB mark.
Hey you just hit on something I am curious about. Was going to get the MacBook middle unit - figured I would hold off on getting more memory. Amazon has a $100 rebate, plus no tax or shipping and 4.5% back from various stuff (A9 and card) seemed like a good deal.

But your thoughts are that I will see a big performance loss vs. 1 GB even with basic programs?

And while I have replaced a HD in a TIVO, and RAM/Video in a Desktop I am not highly techie so the replacement of RAM in the MacBook (may be speculation given how new) is likely to be a big pain?

If I have to go to the store and buy I will have to essentially toss out the original memory - which seems like I am throwing my Amazon rebate away (since an Apple site upgrade when building would be priced less that after the fact upgrade in the store).

Thoughts on the performance, difficulty and cost?

turtle
2006-05-18, 13:29
Self upgrading the RAM in this looks to be easier than changing the HDD in the TiVo so you should be fine to do it one your own, then you sell off your old RAM instead of tossing it. Or you could hold onto it in case of having to ship back the MB to Apple.

tcugrilla
2006-05-19, 12:11
unless you need to cook meals with your laptop get the macbook. you will also need earplugs for the macbook pro. i thought the heat and noise complaints were exaggerated, but as an owner i can assure you they are not.

turtle
2006-05-19, 12:13
After running Folding@Home on this MB I have to say the fan is noticeable. It isn't bad at all, but far more than silent.

Engine Joe
2006-05-19, 13:23
unless you need to cook meals with your laptop get the macbook. you will also need earplugs for the macbook pro. i thought the heat and noise complaints were exaggerated, but as an owner i can assure you they are not.


Curious - which model do you have? I have the 17" (2.16 GHz), and I haven't heard any noise... I'll grant that it gets pretty warm, but not to a level that would have garnered notice from me if others had not already been complaining.

Just wondering if the newer MBPs (given that the 17" just hit the streets last week) are "fixed".

Robo
2006-05-19, 15:32
As fascinating as grammar is, I would definitely recommend the MacBook. The MacBook Pro is simply far too much for your needs.

One of my friends (who I've totally sold on the MacBook) asked, "Should I get a MacBook or MacBook Pro?" I informed him that the MacBook Pro was $1,800 (we're students) and that put an end to that. With good reason - the MacBook Pro, while shiny, is simply far too much computer for him.

Whether you should get the $1100 MacBook, the $1300 MacBook, or the $1500 MacBook is up to you. Don't pay a lot of attention to the slightly faster processor, because you probably won't notice that much. Just ask yourself if you think you will burn DVDs. And yes, the black MacBook really is $200 more - take out the $50 hard drive upgrade, and that's $150, just for the color. Only you can decide whether or not that is worth the premim.

My final advice? Add RAM. 512MB is the bare minimum any OS X computer should have. But don't buy it from Apple - get it from a much cheaper company, and install it yourself. It's really, really easy.

Enjoy your MacBook! By all accounts, it seems to be a great machine - and perfect for your needs. I'll probably be getting one soon, too.

Welcome to AppleNova!